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Indeed, a keen observation. This observation is made as well by Abarbanel and Malbim, who both explain that the first time, Shmuel ran to Eli, as he was Eli's servant and he was motivated to serve him properly. However, when he went to Eli, and it turned out Eli had never called him in the first place, he was a bit embarrassed. So the second time, he was ...

Presumably he thinks he's speaking to Eli.
Malbim explains accordingly: Shmuel's "Hineni" in v. 4 is to tell Eli, "I'm not sleeping!" and then he runs over to see just what Eli wants from him. The second and third times, then (vv. 6 and 8), he doesn't need to repeat this phrase, because Eli already knows he's awake; he just goes over and says, "I am here ...

Rabbi Yechezkel ben Yehuda Landau (known as the Noda Beyehuda) in his work Doresh Letziyon, Derush 5 (new print p.46-47) poses this question. He takes the view that Shmuel Hanavi was allowed to kill Agag because of the principle of 'Aseh docheh lo saaseh'. The mitzva to kill Amalek (particularly, as he was the last living Amalekite at the time,) superseded ...

The people wanted a king so that they could more closely resemble the other nations (Sh'muel I, 8:5,20; Radak ad loc.). This motivation made their desire for a king contemptible (Sanhedrin 20b; Sh'muel I, 8:7-8; cf. D'varim 17:14-15), despite the fact that, according to some opinions, there is a biblical obligation to appoint a king (see the dispute in ...

Radak (to v. 8) explains simply: one or two times it might indeed have been Shmuel's imagination (thinking in his sleep that someone was calling him), but three times means that Shmuel really had heard something. Since no one else was there except Eli and Shmuel, Eli understood that it must be a Divine voice.
He also quotes Ibn Ezra, who says that it's ...

Radak says "Ain Somchin al hanes" Do not rely on miracles. He also compares it to Yaakov being afraid that Eisav was coming, David fleeing from Shaul and other incidents
In Pesachim 8b and Yoma 11a we are told that the protection during the mission is only if the danger is not imminent. In this case, Shmuel asked for natural means to protect himself ...

Rabbi Reisman in one of his shiurim said that Shmuel could have worn gloves in order to prevent tumas mes. I found the reference when I sent the answer to MailJewish:
From: Hillel (Sabba) Markowitz <hsabbam@...>
Date: Fri, 30 Jan 2004 12:44:56 -0500
Subject: RE: Thank G-d for Tupperware
From: Andy Goldfinger <Andy.Goldfinger@...>
...